This invention relates to a waterproof connector, and more particularly to a waterproof connector in which a plurality of inner housings, each receiving connection terminals connected respectively to wires, are mounted in a stacked manner in an outer housing, and thereafter a sealing material is filled in a sealing material-filling vessel portion formed in a rear portion of the outer housing, thereby collectively waterproofing the plurality of wires.
There are known various related waterproof connectors in which a sealing material is filled in the connector to effect a waterproof treatment so that water or others will not intrude into the connector. There is disclosed one such waterproof connector in which a housing comprises a body having a terminal support portion on which connection terminals are placed, and a lid. The connection terminals are placed on the terminal support portion coated with butyl rubber, and the lid, coated with butyl rubber, is put on the terminal support portion, thereby effecting the waterproofing (see, for example, JP-A-7-312259 (pages 2 to 3, FIG. 1)).
In the waterproof connector disclosed in JP-A-7-312259, butyl rubber is coated on the terminal support portion of the body having the connection terminal placed thereon, and then the cover or the like is put on the terminal support portion, thereby effecting the waterproofing. Therefore, it is difficult to form this connector into a multi-pole design by stacking and arranging the connection terminals in a multi-stage manner in an upward-downward direction, and therefore this connector could not meet requirements for an automobile connector or the like to which a large number of wires need to be connected.
As a waterproof connector solving the above problem, there has been proposed a multi-pole connector in which a plurality of sub-connectors are received in respective holders within a frame, and a collective-type rubber plug and a collective-type rubber plug holder (which are common to the plurality of sub-connectors) are provided at rear surfaces of the sub-connectors so as to effect a waterproof treatment (see, for example, JP-A-2000-150058 (pages 3 to 5, FIG. 1)).
There is also disclosed a connector in which a connector housing comprises inner housings each comprising a plurality of division inner units each having terminal receiving chambers, a space for receiving the plurality of division inner units in a stacked manner, and an outer housing for receiving the spacer. A rubber plug is received in a rubber plug-receiving recess formed in the outer housing, and wires are passed through the rubber plug, thereby waterproofing the wires (see, for example, JP-A-2000-357557 (pages 5 to 7, FIG. 1), which correspond to U.S. patent application 6174201B1).
In the waterproof connector disclosed in JP-A-2000-150058, connection terminals are inserted into the sub-connectors having the rubber plug fixed to the rear surfaces thereof, and the sub-connectors are received in the respective holders within the frame, thereby providing the multi-pole design, and the wires are waterproofed by the rubber plug.
In the waterproof connector disclosed in JP-A-2000-357557, the spacer is fitted in the outer housing, with the rubber plug held therebetween, and the wires are passed through the rubber plug, and are connected respectively to connection terminals received in the inner housings. Then, the inner housings are received in the outer housing, and the waterproof treatment is effected by the rubber plug.
In the waterproof connectors disclosed respectively in JP-A-2000-150058 and JP-A-2000-357557, a number of wire harnesses are divided into predetermined numbers of groups to provide sub-wire harnesses, using the inner housings comprising the sub-connectors or the division inner units, and then these sub-wire harnesses are combined together to provide the multi-pole connector. The waterproof treatment is completed for each sub-wire harness by passing the wires one by one through the rubber plug, and therefore there have been encountered problems that the assembling process is complicated and that much time is required for the assembling operation.
Further, the connection terminals must be inserted into the housing after the connection terminals are connected to the respective wires, and therefore it is difficult to use press-contacting terminals as the connection terminals, and the connection terminals have long been limited to crimp-type terminals, and it has been eagerly desired to put a waterproof connector, using press-contacting terminals, into practical use. In addition, there has existed no waterproof connector of the type in which press-contacting terminals and crimp-type terminals can be used in a mixed manner, and a connector for the press-contacting terminals and a connector for the crimp-type terminals have been provided separately, and this has prevented the wires form being installed in a simplified manner.